The WTHR Investigative news team is continuing to challenge HSE Schools’ position on what is required to be disclosed when a staff member is suspended.  Reporter Bob Segall now says the station’s investigative news team plans to go back and file a “formal complaint with the Indiana Public Access Counselor, alleging HSE violated the law by knowingly withholding basic information that would establish a factual basis for the suspension.”

This goes back to a 5-day suspension handed down to Fishers High School football coach Rick Wimmer.  WTHR insists HSE Schools must disclose more details explaining why Wimmer was suspended.  The school corporation’s only response so far is that Wimmer did not “implement instructions for classroom management strategies.”  Administrators then cited a general policy governing teacher behavior.

The state’s Public Access Counselor, Luke Britt, issued an advisory opinion, arguing HSE Schools are legally required to disclose more detail on the reason for the suspension.  You can read Mr Britt’s entire opinion at this link.

You can read the latest story from Bob Segall on all this at this link.

I am not sure where this will all end, but WTHR appears determined to get more information on this suspension.  The HSE School Corporation appears just as determined to not disclose any additional information on why the decision was made to suspend Rick Wimmer.

It’s really starting to feel like spring, and with that feeling comes more road construction in and around Fishers.  Some of the highlights include the new traffic signal near 116th & Olio Road and the continuing work on 116th Street Between Cumberland Road and I-69.  More overnight lane closures are ahead for the area of Exit 210 and I-69.

See the full listing, as provided by the City of Fishers, below:

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116TH STREET

Work is underway on the new traffic signal on 116th Street just west of Olio Road. During this time, the outside lanes of 116th Street will be restricted between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to allow the contractor room to work.

The week of April 17th there will be periodic lane restrictions on westbound 116th Street, east of Hoosier Road.  There will be flaggers in place directing traffic as these restrictions are taking place, weather permitting.

There will be lane restrictions on 116th Street between I-69 and Cumberland Road throughout the summer in order for the contractor to make improvements to 116th Street.

I-69 AND CAMPUS PARKWAY

Milestone Contractors has begun mobilizing cranes and other equipment and setting a temporary concrete barrier wall along I-69 at Campus Parkway Exit 210. Work will require alternating lane closures on northbound and southbound I-69 between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Lane closures may recur each night through the end of the week depending on weather and progress. Questions about this project should be directed to INDOT at eastcentralin@indot.in.gov or 1-855-463-6848.

126TH STREET

There will be periodic lane restrictions between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 126th Street between Allisonville Road and Lantern Road while the contractor installs passing blisters near Reserve at Lantern.  Flaggers will be on site to direct traffic during the restrictions.

106TH AND CUMBERLAND ROAD ROUNDABOUT

There will be possible lane restrictions around the roundabout while the contractor finishes up work.

136TH STREET

Please be advised, effective on or after Monday, April 17th, the intersection of
136th Street and Prairie Baptist Road will be closed for reconstruction of the intersection to improve safety. 136th Street will be closed between Southeastern Parkway and Cyntheanne Road. Prairie Baptist Road will be closed from 136th Street to Southeastern Parkway. Access to residents on 136th Street and Prairie Baptist Road will be maintained. A posted detour route will be in place throughout construction. The intersection is planned to reopen on June 16th, 2017. Questions about this project should be directed to the Hamilton County Highway Department at david.lucas@hamiltoncounty.in.gov or
(317) 773-7770.

SR37 CORRIDOR

Crews will be out along the SR37 Corridor from I-69 north to 146th Street and within 1000’ feet east and west of SR37.  Crews will be out performing survey and geotechnical work.  Please drive with caution when you see vehicles parked along the roadside.

NORTH STREET

Beginning Feb. 27 until April 30, North Street will be periodically restricted between Lantern Road and Municipal Drive as crews deliver building materials. During this time, several parking stalls will be unavailable on the south side of North Street, west of Maple Street.  Flaggers will be onsite to help direct traffic while materials are being delivered.

Ken Seitz served as Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) High School baseball coach and athletic director for many years.  Mr Seitz continues to serve as an assistant baseball coach at HSE.

Thursday night, the school board passed a resolution and held a ceremony naming the baseball field at HSE High School Ken Seitz Field.

The ceremony was held prior to the Mudsock baseball contest between HSE and Fishers High School.  The HSE Royals won 3-2 in 10 innings.

The traditional playground still stands behind the Hoosier Road Elementary School building, but a new playground was unveiled nearby.  Thursday marked the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Parkour playground equipment.

Parkour is designed for training discipline, a bit like a military obstacle course, aimed at elementary students.

Hoosier Road Principal Will Hurst says the decision to pursue this equipment came after a great deal of research, and the playground design is aligned with the HSE21 program of immersive learning.

“We feel the skills kids will practice in an informal, nontraditional manner here will translate to what we’re doing in the classrooms,” Hurst told LarryInFishers.

Students have their choice of the traditional playground or the Parkour during recess time. Teachers will reserve the equipment to use during certain classroom time as it fits into the class curriculum.

The playground has a total sticker price of about $30,000.  Hurst says a number of sources were used to make this project happen.  The City’s Department of Public Works handled excavation and demolition work at no cost to the school.  Recreation Insights provided what Hurst described as a “substantial discount.”  The Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation provided “generous funding,” according to Hurst.  The remaining $6,500 was handled by the Hoosier Road Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO).

Contractors for the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) plan to temporarily close lanes on Interstate 69 during overnight hours next week to paint the westbound 106th Street bridge at the newly constructed Exit 204 roundabout interchange in Fishers.

The new roundabout interchange was opened to traffic in December 2016, and some remaining temperature-sensitive work such as bridge painting and landscaping will be completed this spring.

This work is dependent on favorable weather conditions and schedules are subject to change:

• Monday, April 17 – up to three right lanes of northbound I-69 will be closed will be closed. 
• Tuesday, April 18 – up to three left lanes of northbound I-69 and one left lane of southbound I-69 will be closed. 
• Wednesday, April 19 – up to three left lanes of southbound I-69 and one left lane of northbound I-69 will be closed.
• Thursday, April 20 – up to three right lanes of southbound I-69 will be closed.
• Friday, April 21 – one left lane of northbound and southbound I-69 will be closed.

When the state of Indiana authorized the distribution of Local Option Income Tax (LOIT) money owed to local governments throughout the state last year, Fishers received $9.5 million from state coffers.  The Fishers City Council Finance Committee approved a resolution Wednesday recommending the full council appropriate $7.1 million of that money aimed at infrastructure projects throughout the city.

Initially, Mayor Scott Fadness had taken a go-slow approach to how the funds should be utilized.  This action will allow the city to dip into that cash for various projects throughout the city.

A public hearing on the appropriation will be held at the next city council meeting schedule for April 17th.

In  another matter, City Controller Oscar Gutierrez told the Finance Committee the E911 board is taking the position that updated Fishers census figures will not be used to distribute funds unless state lawmakers act.  The distributions supporting the E911 service are made to municipalities by population numbers.  Unless the legislature takes action, the E911 board will use the lower Fishers census figures from 2010.  Fishers paid for a special census which showed a spike in population since the last regular census in 2010.  The census from 2010 showed a Fishers population of 76,880.  The special census completed in 2016 showed a city population of 86,459.

We used to call them textbooks, but with the mix of books and technology, we call then resources today.  Whatever they are called, students in the Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School System will be using new math materials following action by the school board.  McGraw-Hill’s Everyday Math will replace the current resource, Envision Math.  Board members had received individual briefings on Everyday Math by administrators prior to Wednesday night’s session.  The vote was unanimous.  A committee comprised of teachers, parents and others made the recommendation to the board after reviewing a number of math resources.

Board member Michelle Fullhart said teachers were the ones that decided this was the best math choice for local students.  “We always want to keep in mind that they’re the ones who are going to be using this,” Fullhart said.

You can find more information about the Everyday Math program at this link.

In other school board items from Wednesday’s meeting:

–Dr. Dana Kaminski updated the board on the preschool program for special education students.  More information on the program can be found at this link.

–The board approved an agreement with Indy Premier Soccer League, allowing use of school corporation fields for $173,090 over three years, with a $10,000 reduction in years two and three, provided the soccer league performs specified maintenance work.  Premier Soccer access under the contract includes soccer fields at Hoosier Road Elementary, Brooks School Elementary, Fall Creek Intermediate, HSE High School and Fishers High School, along with use of the Plateau and the Fall Creek Intermediate field for their Halloween Classic.

–Riverside Junior High 8th grader Olivia Larson briefed the board on her research into mental health awareness.

— The board honored the Riverside Intermediate School 2017 Indiana Association of School Principals M.A.T.H. Bowl Champions, Blue Class.  Other HSE Schools finished in the top 10.  Here is the list”

Riverside Intermediate School – State Champion

Hamilton Southeastern Intermediate Junior High School – State Third Place

Sand Creek Intermediate School – State Top 10

Riverside Intermediate School – State Top 10

Fall Creek Intermediate School – State Top 10

When you are just one guy trying to cover news in Fishers, you miss a few things.  One unveiling I sadly had to miss was a talented deaf artist’s work on the side of a parking garage in downtown Fishers.  I found a video about the art display on Facebook (thanks George Martin) and it shows the impressive work of Warren Miller.

The video is news for the deaf, so it uses sign language, but the artwork in the video is the key.  You can access the Facebook video at this link or below.

There are only a few Double Crossover Diamond Interchanges in Indiana.  One is at Fort Wayne and it is a bit of a challenge if the concept is new to you.

Exit 210 on I-69, where Fishers and Noblesville meet, will soon switch to this configuration.

Below is a link to the Indiana Department of Transportation Web page which contains a video on how this interchange works.   You can view the video at this link.

Below is a news release from the Indiana Department of Transportation, about construction work coming on State Road 37, just north of Fishers in Noblesville:

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Construction contractors plan to begin work this week on a $1.5 million project to replace a drainage structure under State Road 37 between 146th Street and Greenfield Avenue in Noblesville.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has awarded a $1.5 million contract to White Construction for the project. Crews plan to install construction zone signs along State Road 37 starting on Wednesday, April 12.

State Road 37 will remain open during construction. Temporary shifting of traffic lanes and overnight lane closures will be used to complete the project. Two lanes will be maintained in each direction during peak traffic times, and single-lane closures in each direction will be scheduled between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Starting on or after Monday, April 17, one lane of State Road 37 will be closed each night from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. as the shoulders on northbound and southbound State Road 37 are resurfaced and strengthened in preparation for future traffic shifts.

The first phase of construction will shift traffic away from the median to provide room for construction. The second phase will shift traffic toward the median to allow construction to be completed along the outside shoulders.

Specific start dates for these traffic shifts will be announced in advance as shoulder paving progresses. All work on the project is expected to be complete this summer.